Jungle Run
by thrashbandicoot01
Summary: Prequel to the Super Sonic Racing trilogy. Sonic, Knuckles, OC Tommy, and Tails are in the Jungle Run, a perilous rally through the deep rain forests of Opetopian. The group makes a new friend along the way. During the race, several things happen, and before the race a fellow competitor dies.
1. New Wheels

Sonic stood in his garage. He was looking at his car, which was as blue as him. It was a two seat open cockpit rally racer, complete with all wheel drive, a 440 horsepower V6 engine, and a fully adjustable suspension. He seemed proud of himself for building it. He walked up to the car and began rubbing his hand on it. Boy, oh boy, was he proud of himself. Then, there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and was greeted by Knuckles and Tommy.

"Hey, guys. Want to see my new car?" he asked while greeting them. Knuckles, with his short nappy dreadlocks (as they hadn't grown out fully at this point in his life), walked over and observed the car.

"I like it. After the failure of the FX350 you made for the Storm Cloud Race, I think it's nice you have one that can potentially win" he said. Tommy, a wild eyed raccoon, admired the hunk of carbon fiber in front of him.

"The three of us are going to be unstoppable" he proclaimed. Knuckles looked at him and shrugged.

"I don't think we'll be unstoppable, but we'll certainly be making noise" Knuckles said. Sonic needed a nickname for the car. Tommy called his The Thief and Knuckles called his Big Red. Sonic decided on the Blue Blur. And that was the beginning of the Jungle Run team.


	2. Surprise! I'm in the Grand Prix!

It was five days until the Jungle Run. Sonic had been mentally preparing for the race. This is the one that would make or break his career as a racer. He was sitting in his house on the beach in Station Square. Knuckles was back in Angel Island and Tommy was back to scrounging the scrap yards for parts (hence the nickname for his car). He was drinking a coffee and staring out the window, overlooking the shimmering blue ocean. He heard his doorbell ring. Ding-dong!

"Hello" he said, while opening the door. He looked down and saw a two tailed fox. He recognized him as Miles Prower, the brother of Jeremy. He had two tails due to a genetic defect, but he was a child prodigy in terms of his mechanical knowledge.

"Are you ready for the Jungle Run?" the young fox asked. Sonic shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. This race is going to be tough" he replied. He then invited Tails into his house. The two of them sat down on the couch and Sonic began flipping through the channels on the TV. He put on USFL Gameday as background noise and began talking to Tails.

"Dane won Hertzfeldt" Tails told him. Sonic smiled.

"I knew the Red Death would win a race" he said. Dane Locke was a track racer Sonic knew for a couple of years and was good acquaintances with him. The Red Death was a nickname applied to him by Knuckles and Sonic.

"He has a strong car. He really does" Tails said. Sonic had multiple things on his mind. Unbeknownst to Tails, Tommy, and Knuckles, he was scheduled to be in the Mobius Grand Prix tomorrow. He felt this would help him get ready for the Jungle Run.

"Tails, tomorrow I want you to watch the Grand Prix. There's a surprise for you in that race" Sonic told Tails. Tails looked over at him.

"Don't tell me you're in it" her nervously. Sonic smiled.

"I am" he said. Tails breathed out and shook his head.

''You're going to have a long week. As you have to be in Opetopian, where the Jungle Run is held, as soon as you get done with the Grand Prix" Tails said. Sonic leaned back into his couch. He wanted to change the subject.

"Don't tell Knuckles" he sternly said to Tails. He nodded. Sonic looked pleased.

"I do agree with the analysts. The LA Express do have a legitimate shot at beating the Pittsburgh Maulers. Last time they played, it was a shootout. Neither punter set foot on the field" Sonic excitedly said to Tails. The young fox knew Sonic was trying to change the subject of the conversation.

"Yeah, Steve Young did look good that game. He also put up a fight against Jim Kelly and the Houston Gamblers" Tails said, following Sonic's sudden change in topic from racing to football. Sonic knew the Grand Prix was going to be easier than the Jungle Run, but he felt turning some laps would get his mind off of things.


	3. Grand Prix and Death of Dane

Sonic sat in the 6th starting spot of the Mobius Grand Prix, which was outside the second row. He was on the radio with Dane.

"This is going to some race" Dane said over the radio. Sonic laughed.

"Most definitely" he replied. He revved the engine to his open wheel speedster, leaning back in the seat. The green flag dropped and the race was on. It was a routine track race. Sonic found it to be relaxing, running around the track. He pulled in for a pit stop.

"Come on, come on! I need to get back into this thing!" he yelled, trying to hurry his crew. The laps were going by. The sun shined overhead. He was running in the 3rd position at lap 81. First caution for Carson Adams catching on fire. Sonic looked to his left as the fireball went streaking past him on the track. Then, a sharp left turn turned the car towards the pits. Dane was coming out of the pits back onto the track. There was huge contact.

"Oh my God! It's Locke!" TV announcer Mike Joy exclaimed as the two cars violently collided. Emergency vehicles swarmed the scene as the red flag was displayed. All down the backstretch, the remaining cars sat, idly. Sonic was incredibly nervous. He got on the radio with his crew chief.

"Is Dane okay?" he asked, a pain in his voice. His crew chief replied with a skepticism in his voice.

"I don't think he is. They're bringing in a helicopter to get him to the hospital" he replied. Sonic sighed heavily. He looked down at the steering wheel, then up at the sky as the helicopter arrived. The stretcher with Dane Locke on it was loaded on to the helicopter, ready to take him to the hospital. There was an unsettling silence over the crowd and the drivers. The red flag was lifted after 84 minutes because of the extensive debris pickup. Due to incoming darkness and no lights at the track, the race was going to be called short. Sonic mustered up his strength to run the remaining race.

"I think I'll do this. I'll win it all" he said over the radio.

"That's the spirit, man" his crew chief said in reply. The green flag came back out, and the race resumed. Sonic was locked in a side by side battle with Dirk Ziegler for second. 5 laps remaining. Sonic motored around Ziegler for second, and was working on Devin Anders for first. Jasper Collins followed Sonic, pulling into third. He passed Anders with 3 laps to go, Collins pulling into second.

"Number 44 is gaining" his crew chief told him over the radio.

"I can see that in the mirror" Sonic replied. His crew chief shrugged. White flag. Last lap. Side by side, Sonic and Jasper were streaking towards the checkered flag. The flag dropped, and Jasper edged Sonic out. Sonic pulled his car into the garage and got out of it. He ran over to Carson Adams, who was sitting in a lawn chair, face buried in his hands.

"Carson!" Sonic yelled while running over to him. The golden retriever looked up, fear stricken in his eyes.

"It's all my fault, man. It's all mine" he blubbered. Sonic smacked him in the head.

"It isn't. Now calmly tell me what's going on with Dane" he sternly said. In the TV broadcast booth, Mike Joy awkwardly removed his headset along with Kevin Cogan. Neither of them knew what to send the audience off with.

"He's in critical condition. They don't know if he'll make it" Carson told Sonic. Sonic had a look of worry. He quickly ran off, towards the access tunnel to leave the infield. There, he saw Kevin Cogan.

"Hey, do you know anything about Dane?" Sonic asked.

"I wish I did" Kevin replied. Sonic groaned and rode off on his motorcycle. It was getting late. Sonic arrived back home, in a state of worry and panic. He turned on the TV to see a saddening and shocking news report.

"Dane Locke, a young race car driver entering his fourth season of professional racing, died today in a crash during today's Mobius Grand Prix. He was declared dead on arrival at Presbyterian Hospital" the news anchor said. Sonic dropped the remote, slowly put his head in his hands, and began crying. He lost a fellow competitor and a good acquaintance today.


	4. Arrival

Sonic was crushed by Dane's death. He could barely sleep and was in a desperate attempt to try and get his head straight for the Jungle Run. He was heading to the airport to get his flight to Opetopian so he can compete in the race. Knuckles greeted him as he walked into the airport lobby.

"I heard everything" he told Sonic. He shrugged.

"I just want to push Dane to the back of my head. I'm trying to get ready for the Jungle Run" he said. Knuckles looked away solemnly.

"I would like to say I'm sorry" he said.

"Thanks. He was a good competitor and a good acquaintance of mine" Sonic replied. The cars were being loaded on the plane. First was The Thief, followed by the Blue Blur, and then Big Red. The numbers on each were 34, 78, and 7. The speakers crackled, and a voice announced the flight to Opetopian was beginning to board. The trio began making their way over to the gate, having their passports stamped while they were getting on.

"This is going to be some race, huh" Tommy said as he sat on the aisle. Knuckles was in the window seat and Sonic was crushed in the middle.

"Yeah. It is. Let's wait until we get there" Knuckles retorted as the plane began to taxi the runway. The flight was pretty smooth, until a flight attendant approached Sonic to inform him of noises coming from his car in the cargo hold. He walked down there with her.

"Ma'am, I am telling you. There is nothing wrong with this car nor am I kidnapping anybody. Here I will open the trunk to prove it" he angrily said to her. When he opened the trunk, Tails popped out. Sonic and the flight attendant were both taken aback.

"Tails! Just how did you...get in there unnoticed!" Sonic exclaimed. Tails climbed out with his suitcase.

"I just went in there behind your back. When you were mourning Dane, I found it prime time to sneak in" he replied. Sonic looked over the attendant.

"Don't say a word. We'll get his passport stamped at customs" Sonic told her. He walked back to his seat, cramming himself between Tommy and Knuckles.

"Tails snuck aboard" he told them. Both of them lit up, as they wanted him and his mechanical expertise. Soon, they touched down in Opetopian. Once they got Tails out of the cargo hold and his passport stamped, the four of them were in the airport lobby.

"Look at who we're up against. We have some pretty stiff competition" Knuckles said. Sonic looked around.

"We certainly do" he said. They began walking out to their cars, getting in them and driving off to find a hotel. They were going to need to rest up for the race, which was coming up in 3 days.


	5. Meet Sticks and Drawing Positions

Sonic was overlooking the course for the race. It was going to happen tomorrow. He sat atop the balcony in his hotel room, looking over it with a pair of camouflage binoculars. Tails walked up next to him.

"So, where are we racing tomorrow?" he asked. Sonic pointed out into an open field.

"That's where we'll start. From there, we will snake our way through the jungle (hence why it's called the Jungle Run), then up the incredibly dangerous and ironically named Mt. Safety, then once we reach the peak we race down the side of the mountain down into the Toxic Caves, then once we exit the Toxic Caves we race down the seafront into the city of Yennan" Sonic replied. Tails stared out over the landscape. He had never seen anything like it, so beautiful yet so terrifying. Tails was ready to ride along with his best friend the next day. The two of them walked down into the hotel lobby to meet with Knuckles and Tommy.

"We're going to go for a hike in the woods. Want to join us?" Knuckles asked them. Sonic and Tails looked at each other.

"Sure, we'd love to" Sonic answered. The four of them were heading out of the lobby and into the woods. They were walking along, and talking about the race.

"Look, if we draw good starting spots on the grid tonight in the ballroom, we can get out to a fast start. That gives at least one of us a chance at winning" Tommy was saying on the trail. Knuckles shook his head.

"No,no. Listen, man. If we can get a good start at any spot we can have a shot" he retorted back. Tommy shrugged. Sonic seconded Knuckles' remark.

"I just want a high spot" the wild eyed raccoon said.

"Suit yourself" Sonic scoffed. Tails had a feeling someone was there, someone other than them.

"I think someone is watching us" he piped up. The three others looked at him with odd looks. Tails was still unsettled by this. Knuckles then put his arms out.

"Footprints. Crossing our path" he said. "I think Tails is right." There was a rustling in the bushes. Knuckles stepped back a bit.

"Who's there?" Tommy asked. No answer.

"Show yourself" he demanded. Still no answer. Now, they were concerned. More rustling. Tommy got freaked out and ran off.

"Tommy! Tommy, come back!" Tails was shouting after him. But, Tommy was gone and it was too late.

"Good riddance" Sonic muttered. They began walking ahead with caution, trying to see who was following them. They caught a glimpse of something moving.

"There's someone there, alright" Tails said.

"We're not leaving until we find them" Sonic said, a certain determination in his voice. They heard more rustling in the bushes. Knuckles walked over to see what it was.

"Alright, that does it. I'm coming over there!" he exclaimed. He walked over to the bushes, when something popped out. He let out a scream and fell backwards, picking himself up and stumbled back.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" she snapped. Standing before them was a badger huntress. She wore a skirt and tube top with a pair of boots. She had orange and brown fur.

"Who are you?" Knuckles asked.

"I'm Sticks" the badger replied.

"Nice to meet you, Sticks. I'm Knuckles" the muscular echidna replied. Sticks looked the three up and down, obviously skeptical. It seemed she was in isolation in Opetopia for a long time. Tails walked up to her.

"H...hi. I'm Tails" he said, introducing himself. Sticks looked him up and down.

"I'll go easy on you since you're a kid" she said. Sonic motioned in the direction of the hotel they were staying at.

"Do you want to come back to the hotel with us?" Sonic asked. Sticks hissed at that, causing all three of them to shrink back. Sticks pointed over to a burrow.

"That's mine" she said.

"That's nice" Knuckles said to her. He then looked in the general direction of the hotel.

"Tell you what. I'll bring my car out later for you to look at. I need a ride along mechanic for the race" he said to Sticks. She perked up at this.

"Explain" she inquired. Knuckles smirked.

"I'll come back later to explain everything" he said. Sticks was clearly annoyed by this, but begrudgingly accepted. The three began heading back to the hotel.

"I think we can be friends" Knuckles said. Sonic looked at him like he was crazy.

"With a crazy jungle badger huntress?" he asked. Knuckles shrugged.

"Probably" he replied.

. . .

Later that night, the drivers were gathered in the hotel ballroom to select where they were starting. The Racing Commissioner, an elderly human man named Albert I. Russell, stood on a stage overlooking everyone. Sonic stood next to Knuckles and Tommy. Ride along mechanics weren't allowed, so Tails had to stay in the room. The first driver called up was Graham Callahan, who drew 9th. There were a total of 60 drivers in this race, and the Jungle Run is a big deal.

"Did you get jungle badger to join you?" Sonic asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did" Knuckles replied. The next driver called up was Uwe Breinstrecher, who drew the 42nd position. He had a look of disappointment on his face as he returned to his spot on the ballroom floor. They cycled around to Knuckles, who drew the 15th spot. Tommy was called up and he drew the 60th and final starting spot.

"This sucks" he muttered under his breath as he walked off the stage. Sonic took a deep breath as another driver was called up. Then, he was called up and drew 22nd. Sonic excused himself from the event and went back to his room on the 7th floor. He knocked on the door to the room and Tails opened it.

"Where do we start?" he asked.

"We're starting 22nd. Middle of the pack" he replied. Tails wasn't that disappointed in the pick, but he knew all of them had their work cut out for them tomorrow.


	6. The Race Begins

It was the day of the race. A crowd of almost 100,000 people were hand to watch the start of the race. Sonic and Tails were standing by the Blue Blur, signing autographs for the fans and doing TV interviews. Knuckles was running Big Red on the Dyno to see where it stood and to make any last second adjustments. Sticks was there, amazed by all she was seeing.

"20 minutes until the start of the Jungle Run" a German accented voice said over the loudspeaker. Tommy went out around and learned he had no second gear, so he bought a spare transmission off another team.

"I see The Thief isn't working" Tails said to him. Tommy looked out from under his car.

"Shut up and let me work, dammit" he said. Tails walked off.

"15 minutes" the voice said over the speaker. Knuckles revved the engine. It turned over normally.

"The gauges are checking out. Big Red ready to roll" he said. Tommy finally got the transmission to work and regained second gear. Sonic was fitting the afterburner on the Blue Blur and Tails was getting hounded by ladies saying how cute he was.

"10 minutes. All press and fans clear the garage area" the voice said. Sticks was disturbed by this.

"Who is this bodiless voice who controls us?" she asked. Knuckles calmed her down and pointed to the press box.

"He's in there. Now get ready" he told her. Tails was putting the race tires on testing the adjustable suspension. A lot of last second activity was going on in the garage.

"5 minutes until the start of the Jungle Run. All drivers move into starting positions now" the voice announced.

"Alright, let's go" Knuckles proclaimed. Sonic and Tails put their driving suits on and got in. Tommy put his helmet on. It had a checkerboard pattern. He waited until everyone else was in position. An official stopped Knuckles.

"Hey, buddy. All ride along mechanics have to have a helmet" he told Knuckles. A member of another team walked over and handed Sticks a spare helmet.

"We were going to have a ride along mechanic, but he didn't show" the man said. Sticks took it and put it on.

"Thanks" she said. Knuckles floored it and pulled into his starting spot. Sonic and Tails were comfortably in their spot. The countdown clock read 1 minute.

"Ready?" Sonic asked, looking over at Tails.

"As ready as I'll ever be" he replied. 30 seconds. The flagman was perched on his stand, ready to drop the flag when the clock struck zero. 60 engines were purring at the line. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... then the clock struck zero. The green flag dropped and the Jungle Run was underway. The crowd disappeared quickly and the paved streets soon gave way to dirt roads in the jungle. Sonic began making progress. The car was handling well on the roads, still damp from the morning dew. Knuckles squeezed his way up through two cars and was on a charge for the lead. Sonic was conserving his afterburner for later.

"Slow down! Sticks is not used to this!" Sticks was yelling as Knuckles motored his way into the lead. He began laughing loudly.

"Welcome to racing!" he shouted back. Sonic was running well. He and Tails were gliding along smoothly. Tommy was fighting his way from the back to the front. The field took a small jump over a creek. Sonic felt like something was happening. Tails looked up.

"Sonic, get ready. We're going up Mt. Safety" Tails told Sonic with a concern in his voice. Sonic quickly adjusted the suspension and ran a radio test. They knew there was turning back once they began up the mountain.


	7. Mt Safety and Tommy Goes Down

The road became winding and twisting. Up the side of Mt. Safety everyone went. This is what separated the real racers from the wannabes. Sonic heard some screeching and looked in his rearview to see a horrible crash. He winced at the sight and quickly turned his focus back to the race. Tommy was still stuck in the middle. He dodged the accident and began a hard charge up the mountain. Knuckles was comfortably maintaining his lead and wasn't worried about being passed. He looked up and saw dark clouds rolling in.

"We're going to be driving into a storm" he said to Sticks. There was a loud crash of thunder that had the sound of a thousand drums.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Sticks asked.

"Just hold on tight. I got this."

"I wish I was back in my burrow!" Knuckles floored it and charged headlong into the thunderhead. Sonic and Tails were busy drafting with another car up the mountain. A loud boom rang out. Then, the rain came. It came slowly, but began picking up speed. All drivers were advised by the Race Supervisors to take caution. The Race Supervisors sat in a large room at the International Racing Legion offices and oversaw every rally, with onboard cameras in all the cars. Sonic and Tails began weaving in and out of the large rocks in the middle of the road. Sonic had to keep his speed up because of how steep the incline was. Tails could only sit in the passenger seat and hope there wasn't a crash involving them. He was the ride along mechanic, after all. Tommy was in a desperate attempt to get to the front. He quickly rammed another driver into a rock, and narrowly avoided a spinning car.

"Wooo!" he exclaimed. Near the summit, of which 49 of the original 60 cars remaining in the race were racing towards, there was a chasm up near the top, as Mt. Safety is a dormant volcano that hasn't erupted in over 200 years. Many drivers chose to race around it, but a few daredevils usually attempt to jump it. There were several mud pits near the top, as nature has taken its course and several trees have grown up near the top. Knuckles looked in his rearview and noticed a couple cars gaining on him.

"Oh no you don't" he said to himself and he punched it. He moved down to block, but got stuck in a mud pit. He ended up losing his lead. He groaned at this. Lightning flashed across the sky.

"Sticks, I want you to hop out and push the car" The badger got out of the passenger and began pushing. Knuckles put the car in gear and began driving, turning the wheels to try and get it loose. Finally, after losing several spots, Big Red got unstuck from the mud. Sticks fell flat on her face as soon Knuckles yanked the car out. She quickly got up and scrambled back into the passenger seat. Tommy caught up to Sonic, and both of them caught up to Knuckles. Thunder and lightning added to the pouring rain and the sense of tension the descent down the mountain was making.

"I can barely hold on to this thing" Tommy said. Sonic looked over at him as more lightning danced across the sky.

"Just try your best and keep your eyes on your line" he said in response. There were couple of other cars mixed in with them. Down the side of the mountain they raced, trying not to slip. One flash of lightning crashed across the sky. Tommy got a little loose but held on to it. Sonic and Knuckles were drag racing down the side of the mountain. Tommy was in front of another car. Then, a flash of lightning and a loud crash of thunder occurred. The lightning struck right in front of Tommy. He slammed on the brakes and skidded into the car next to him. He was thrown from the car and a mass pileup ensued. Flaming twisted metal was falling down the side of the mountain. Tommy went sliding down to the base of the mountain, unconscious. Tails and Sticks looked behind them, scared of what they were seeing.

"Is Tommy alright?" Tails asked. Sonic tried to contact him.

"There's no answer. Something must be wrong" Through the woods the remaining drivers raced. Then, they began their descent into the Toxic Caves.


	8. Toxic Caves

Down into the Toxic Caves everyone went. There was a thin green mist near the entrance. The cave road was rocky, with a green slime bubbling in various pools alongside. Various points led down farther into the caves. However, everyone was just going to stay on the main path. Of the 49 cars that reached the summit of Mt. Safety, there were 32 in the Toxic Caves. Knuckles was trying to regain lost ground and Sonic was drafting with him to join. Knuckles was running off a side draft from another competitor. Sonic slingshot around Knuckles and moved up two spots.

"Battle charge!" Sticks cried out. Knuckles tried to quiet her. The noise of her yelling combined with the roar of the engines began to bring down the stalactites.

"Damn it!" They fell from the ceiling, crushing a couple cars and a few more dodged. It was over quick. Sonic was charging back to the lead. Then, he felt something was loose. His front left tire was loose. Then, it came off.

"I got this, Sonic" Tails said. He jumped out of the passenger seat and began flying with his tails. He chased after the tire while Sonic drove the three wheeled car. Tails landed on top of it, but the tire slipped out from under him. It rolled off the road and fell down into a pit of green slime. Sonic stopped the car and motioned for Tails to come over.

"At least we have the spare in the trunk" he said. Sonic hopped out as several cars went racing past.

"We need to move quickly. We're losing positions and valuable time" Although ride along mechanics were optional, and many drivers chose not to have them, Sonic saw the advantage to having one. That's why he kept Tails around. He put the spare on as fast he could. Then, when that was done, they were back in the race. By this time, Knuckles had regained the lead and was cruising comfortably through the caves. Sonic was racing through the pack of cars to try and catch Knuckles. The roads in the caves featured extremely tight turns, but it was a piece of cake compared to descending a mountain during a storm. Sonic was drafting with everyone he could to gain ground on Knuckles. Knuckles looked in his rearview and saw the Blue Blur gaining. He laughed and punched it out of the caves.


	9. Race Finish and Bombshell

Out of the Toxic Caves everyone raced. They were all blinded by the light of the sun since they were in an underground cave and it cleared up. The air was muggy and humid. Over the ocean the sun was setting in a beautiful array of oranges and reds with a little purple. But, there was no time to admire the scenery. There was a race to finish. Coming through the jungle once again everyone was twisting and turning, running through creeks and sloshing through the mud pits created by the rain. The air was heavy, very humid and muggy. Bugs were out in full swing. Sonic was desperately using the windshield wipers to clean bug guts off his windshield so he could see. According to the GPS, there was only 4 miles to the finish. Sonic a quarter tank of gas left, so he was set on fuel.

"We're good to the finish" Sonic told Tails. Tails smiled at this. Knuckles was far out in the lead. He wasn't worried about being passed. Both he and Sonic were far enough apart they were in leagues of their own. Down to 2 and a half miles to go. Knuckles was cruising to a first place. But, he was running low on fuel. He wasn't paying attention. After winding through the jungle, the dirt gave way to pavement. The seaside city of Yennan. A crowd the size of the one at the start was there to witness the finish. Big Red began to slow. Coming through the city square to the finish he was unable to keep his pace. Sonic came in and saw this. He used his afterburner to scorch by Knuckles for the win. Knuckles barely held on for second.

Sonic stood atop the podium, holding the trophy. He had tears in his eyes and looked out over the sunset.

"This one is for you, Dane!" he shouted. He looked out in the crowd and saw Cassandra, an aqua hedgehog girl who was the fiancé of Dane. He died 2 months before their wedding. Sonic was saddened by her presence. He approached her.

"Thank you for being a friend and good competitor for Dane" she said. Sonic was tearing up speaking to her.

"You're welcome. I still wish Dane was here" Cassandra nodded. The two embraced each other crying, in remembrance of Dane. Knuckles pulled the two apart.

"We have to run. Tommy was fished out of the jungle and he's in the hospital" he told them. He and Sonic ran through the cobblestone streets toward the hospital. Once inside, they quickly asked a nurse where Tommy was.

"Are you Sonic and Knuckles?" she asked. The two nodded frantically.

"You are the only two he wants to see. I'll take you to him" She lead them to his room, where he lay in the bed hooked up to all sorts of monitors. He looked at them walking in.

"Have a seat" he said. They sat on the chairs in the room.

"Doctor said I'm paralyzed from the waist down" Sonic and Knuckles were stunned. Sonic was the first to speak.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked, tears welling up in his eyes. Knuckles and Tommy were crying too.

"I want to prove I'm not dead. I want to keep racing" Knuckles looked up.

"I can try and replicate the setup Alex Zanardi uses. He lost both his legs and keeps racing" Knuckles told him. Tommy brightened up.

"Can you help me to the Paralympics?"

"I suppose I'll try" Sonic was trying to brighten up the optimism Tommy was displaying. Tommy wanted to come back and do something. Sonic was trying to cope with the wave of emotion he has felt over the course of the week. Knuckles looked over at Sonic.

"Go. Tails and Sticks are running the cars through post-race inspection and they want you at the post-race ball. I want to speak with Tommy privately." Knuckles had a waiver in his voice, and he didn't sound as commanding as he normally was when he spoke. Sonic stood, said a goodbye to Tommy, and left.


	10. Aftermath

Sonic met up with Tails and Sticks. He was walking dejectedly to the winner's ball. Tails and Sticks picked up on this.

"What's wrong?" Tails asked. Sonic sighed.

"Tommy is paralyzed from the waist down. He wants to race and be in the Paralympics" Sonic replied. Sticks was confused.

"Paralyzed?"

"He can't use his legs"

"Oh"

The trio walked into the ballroom. People were dancing and singing, with a swing band playing jiving tunes. By this point it was night out, with the sun replaced by the full moon in a cloudless sky. He didn't want to talk to the press, leaving Tails and Sticks to fend them off. Sonic accepted his trophy and walked out of the ballroom and went to the car. He called for Tails, and the young fox came over.

"I want to go now" he said. Tails pointed over to a panel.

"They want a press conference"

"Tell those assholes I don't want to do a damn press conference"

"Just do it"

"Alright, fine"

Sonic sauntered over to the press conference. Cameras were flashing left and right. Reporters were bombarding him questions. Sonic had several microphones on the table and more being shoved in his face. Normally, he would bask in the attention and glory, but tonight he was overwhelmed and wanted to be alone.

"I'm going to leave and take a break from racing. I refuse to answer any of your silly questions" He got up and walked away. Knuckles came in as Sonic and Tails began driving off. He tried to wave him down, but Sonic blew right past him. He and Sticks chased after him in Big Red. Sonic was racing through the city of Yennan in Opetopian, trying to get to the airport. Knuckles wasn't able to catch up to Sonic, as he saw the Blue Blur being loaded onto a plane. He slammed the brakes and punched the dashboard.


	11. Epilogue

It had been three months since the Jungle Run. Sonic was taking a break from racing, focusing on other interests such as football and music. Knuckles totaled Big Red during a drag race and Tails was getting a car ready for Mini Monaco, a Monte Carlo Grand Prix for kids. Sonic was going to accompany him, but first he had to go to Angel Island to visit Knuckles. He was greeted by the muscular echidna, who Sonic swore had gotten bigger, and his dreadlocks had grown longer.

"I'm sorry" he said. Knuckles shook his head.

"Don't be" he replied.

"But he was going to race again and be a Paralympian for basketball"

"We knew he was going to go when his spinal cord got infected. Let's change the subject" Tommy had passed away from a spinal cord infection one week before this interaction was taking place. Sonic was being led by Knuckles towards a car covered by a tarp. They were talking about the upcoming season for their football team, the Kaos Maniax. Coming off a 1-7 record the previous season, they had their work cut out for them.

"Here's what I called you over here for" Knuckles said, pointing at the tarp covered car. He yanked the tarp off to reveal a car Sonic hadn't seen in years. It was a bosozoku 1969 Nissan Skyline in a dull grey color.

"The Mad Manga!" Sonic gasped.

"It was a spare Jeremy had in his shop. There's no engine or transmission, but I'm sure you'll find something to do with it when you come back"


End file.
